Rafael Câmara wrapped up his 2025 F3 campaign in Monza with one of his most impressive displays of the year, despite an Italian GP weekend that began with bitter disappointment. On Friday, the Trident driver looked set to top the leaderboard of Group A in qualifying, setting a rapid lap in the pole-position shootout. However, the stewards deleted his time for exceeding track limits at Turn 5.
From disappointment on Saturday to a Sunday charge to remember
That single error left him at the back of the field, transforming the weekend into a test of patience, pace and resilience. While others might have folded, Câmara attacked both races with determination. The Sprint saw him climb an astonishing 18 places in 18 laps, but a post-race penalty cruelly undid the effort, relegating him to 25th in the final classification.
However, if Saturday was frustrating, Sunday proved a reminder of why Câmara had already secured the Championship crown. In the Feature Race, the Brazilian stormed through the field once again, surging into the top ten and eventually finishing fifth. For a time he even looked capable of challenging for the podium, running in DRS range of the leaders.
Looking back on the drive, Câmara reflected with pride on his effort. “It’s probably one of the best races of my life,” he said. “Since the beginning we had the pace, the car was feeling very good, and I was moving towards the front.”
A race hindered by Safety Cars and tyre degradation
His progress was not straightforward. Several Safety Car periods interrupted the race, at times aiding his charge and at others halting his momentum. Câmara admitted he had to make the most of every restart.
“Sometimes the Safety Car was good and other times it did not help but we always managed at the restart to gain positions. But today, that was the maximum I could have done.”
For a brief moment, he thought victory was possible. But in the closing stages, tyre degradation struck, bringing him back down to earth.
“Once I arrived in the first-place group, I thought maybe I had a chance to win, but I had a big drop the last three or four laps, the rears were basically gone.”
From there, it was all about defence. Câmara pushed hard to hold onto his position and keep the points flowing for Trident in their fight for the Teams’ title.
“Then after that I just tried to keep my position, score points for the Teams’ Championship, which was close, Noah [Strømsted] also did a good job, unfortunately Charlie [Wurz] was out in the first lap but was a good way to finish the season.”
An emotional farewell to Trident
For Câmara, the 2025 Italian GP in Monza was not just the end of a season but also the end of his time with Trident, at least in F3. After a year of close collaboration and historic results, he confessed the chequered flag carried more emotion than usual.
“I’m a bit sad it’s the last race with Trident. It was something very special this year, not only because of the result but also the way we worked together, it is a bit emotional to finish the year.”
Behind the emotion was a clear explanation of the challenge he faced. Starting from the back meant there was no option but to push hard from the start, and that strategy placed his tyres under severe strain.
“It was very difficult to keep the tyres alive till the end of the race,” Câmara recalled. “When you’re in the back of the grid, you need to push, so it’s not like you can wait. At the front, you can manage the pace and when to push. To be honest, I was pushing all race, sometimes I managed to save a bit, but I knew I was pushing very hard.”
Even then, Câmara showed maturity in the way he adapted once the tyre drop-off became unavoidable.
“From the moment I knew I had a big drop, I just started to calm down and maintained position. It was something that already from Qualifying, when I knew, I was going to start at the back, me and my engineer were talking a lot, to understand how we were going to come back, and I think we managed the situation very well.”
A season to remember
Although the Teams’ Championship ultimately slipped away at the Italian GP in Monza, Câmara’s individual success defined the 2025 F3 season. He not only secured the Drivers’ crown but also broke records along the way, achieving the most pole positions in the category’s history with five, and tying Arvid Lindblad for the highest-ever win percentage at 20%.
Reflecting on the campaign as a whole, Câmara admitted even he had been surprised by the scale of his achievements.
“It was a good surprise this year,” he said. “Of course, you always want to win, but we didn’t know we were going to win like this. I think now, it’s a bit unfortunate we could not get the Teams’ title.”
Still, his pride in both himself and his team was clear.
“But still very proud of the team and of myself this year, and now it is going to calm down a bit. I still need to work a lot, them, and me as well, because for them, they will be pushing to be even stronger next year and also for myself to prepare as much as I can to be ready for Formula 2.”
Eyes on Formula 2
The Brazilian will not be dwelling on the past for long. With his F3 title secured in Budapest, and the 2025 F3 season concluded over the Italian GP weekend Monza, Câmara now shifts his focus to the next stage of his career. Preparations are already under way for his Formula 2 debut, where the challenge will be greater and the stakes higher.
“I need to be ready for the tests and to have another strong year. It’s true that it was a very good year, but if you don’t push, you will not do well in F2. It’s nice to win F3, but you also have to win F2, so I will prepare to try to do another good year.”
After an unforgettable season, Câmara leaves F3 with a trophy cabinet full and his reputation enhanced. Monza may have denied him and Trident a F3 Teams’ title, but his relentless charge through the field provided a fitting farewell and a reminder that his journey is only just beginning.
